Dream On With LORAC Cosmetics’ Alter Ego Dream Girl Eye Shadow Palette

Summertime and bright eyeshadows go together like pineapple juice and Coco Lopez so, before the leaves start to turn and the inevitable autumn chill sets in, give your lids a technicolor makeover with the LORAC Cosmetics Alter Ego Eyeshadow Palette in Dream Girl ($20 at LORACcosmetics.com). If you salivated over Urban Decay’s Electric Pressed Pigment Palette or Maybelline New York’s The Brights eyeshadow palette, then you’ll appreciate the playfully vivid and extroverted colors in this limited-edition set. Now, if you’re looking for the most versatile palette than you can wear both during casual outings and in extremely formal settings — while addressing fellow doctors during a medical conference, addressing a university’s board of trustees, delivering your closing arguments in a court of law, or testifying before Congress — then this might not be your best bet since most of the hues in the palette are either adventurous and flashy or shimmer-packed. In fact,there’s only one matte eyeshadow in the palette: a russet brown hue. That said, if you’re looking for unapologetically bold brights, you’ll find virtually as many options as you would in an Adventure Time episode — from a bright turquoise to a metallic violet and a gold-tinged chartreuse.

Ready to see some swatches? Let’s start with the first four shades in the palette, moving from left to right. The first shade is a rather unusual pearlescent baby yellow that has a saccharine feel reminiscent of pastel yellow buttermint creams but features tons of metallic shimmer. Next, there’s the one true matte hue in the palette, a russet brown color with reddish, almost copper-y undertones. Third, there’s a beach-y coral pink reminiscent of conch shell interiors but infused with golden shimmer for an even more sun-kissed feel. And next is one of the most gorgeous shades in the palette, a clean and crisp turquoise  with just a hint of tonal shimmer.

Check out the first four eye shadows in the palette:

Moving on, we have another four intrepid colors. The first, is a metallic bronze shade with a golden warmth and an even sheen. Next, there’s another breathtaking hue: a seemingly galactic, metallic violet color saturated with pink glitter to lend it an iridescent, surreal, fantasy-worthy feel. The next shade is just as stunning: a golden olive green that, due to a high concentration of yellow gold glitter, appears chartreuse when illuminated. Next, there’s the darkest shade in the palette, a reddish espresso brown  chockfull of bronze shimmer to give it radiance and warmth.

Check out these four shades below:

Last but not least, tucked below these eight gorgeous eyeshadows are two extremely subtle pearlescent shades that can be used as highlighters, to accentuate your brow arches or the inner corners of your eyes, or which can also be used as base colors or, moreover, to blend the more saturated shades in the palette. One of these shades is a mother of pearl color while the other is a nacreous baby pink. Check them out below:

Below, check out two looks I created using the Alter Ego palette in Dream Girl. For the look below, I concentrated on the earthier shades in the palette. I started out by applying the baby pink hue shown above all along my lower lids and brushing the shade into the crease area. Next, I swept a very thin layer of the pearlescent baby yellow eye shadow atop of it, only along the lower lid area. I then followed with the matte russet brown color, layering that above it. To give the eyes a bit of pop, I added just a touch of the espresso brown shade along the outer corners and blended more of the pearlescent pink shadow along the inner corners.

The second look, shown below, is practically a love story to the violet shade in the palette!I started out by applying the golden bronze shadow all along my lids and the crease area, following the natural contours of the eye. I then started brushing the violet shade along the outer half of the lids and working it into the crease. Now, it’s important to note that, while the eye shadows look really vivid in the palette, it does take some layering to pack that color onto lids. It took quite a bit of maneuvering but, in the end, I got the intense look I was vying for, with just hints of bronze peeking through.

All in all, I’ve enjoyed playing with this eye shadow palette but I do wish there were a few more matte shades in the mix to make blending and diffusing the brighter colors a bit easier and to add a juxtaposition of textures and finishes. But, for $20, this palette does offer a power punch of color and, moreover, captures the adventurous, carefree, dancing-in-the-sun spirit of the season.